Monday, July 6, 2009

Focus for a moment, if you will, on the words of Rafael Casal. Dude has serious bars. In this poem, read at an installment of Russell Simmons' Brave New Voices slam poetry events, Casal goes in on our culture's belief in the phenomenon we call Attention Deficit Disorder. Having been "diagnosed" myself as a kid, I often wonder whether this supposed disorder isn't just a label they've slapped on a certain kind of mind. Is it really abnormal for a kid to want to play outside or create something artistic, rather than sit in an unengaging class and memorize? And how are we supposed to trust the intentions of pharmaceutical companies that stand to profit from their expensive chemical solution? Casal begs the question better than I can, so watch and listen carefully. J Boogie I see you.